PS: I Still Love you

It was a usual office morning for Smriti but unlike other days, she was brimming with happiness today. It was her Husband’s 36th Birthday today. She looked at her watch, it was 11:30 AM. She took out her cell phone and dialed Wenger’s at Connaught place. “Hello…Can you please take an order for a Vanilla sponge cake”. “Sure Mam, Shall I make that 2 or 4 Pounds” asked the lady on the other side. “Make that 2 Pounds and do not forget to add chocolate hazelnut custard and Frangelico liqueur”, that’s my husband’s favorite” chirped Smriti. “Sure Mam” replied the lady from Wengers”. Post giving her details Smriti hung up and remembered how Sameer absolutely adored Vanilla sponge cake and the fights they had over having the last piece of it every time they got it. She had smile on her face when she recalled how Sameer used to slyly crawl out of bed at night to have his bite and would totally deny when asked about it next morning.

Lost in the thoughts, Smriti suddenly realized it was 12: 30 PM. She logged into facebook and went straight to Sameer’s profile and posted a nice birthday message!!! It was the Fifth one for the day. She was definitely one of those mushy-gushy lovers who wouldn’t lose any opportunity of showering her partner with sweet and silly nothings. She stared at Sameer’s profile picture for a while and realized how absolutely handsome he was and how much she loved him.

Sameer Dhingra, an affluent Delhi-ite went against his parents’ wishes and married Smriti Tewari, a small town girl from Lucknow, leaving him no choice but to exit his house.
It was at a college fest in Delhi University where they first met each other and cupid struck . Ever since, there was no stopping for them. They survived all the tests of time including a long distance relationship when Sameer went to London School of Economics for his masters and Smriti doing her MBA from Delhi University. That was also the time when Sameer’s elitist mother Rita tried to make Smriti realize how “different” their families were and how she would not do justice to this marriage in long run. Amidst all odds Sameer and Smriti got married in 2003 in the presence of Smriti’s parents and some friends. In spite of multiple failed attempts to make a place in the hearts of Sameer’s parents she never stopped trying. Just like every year, she had invited Rita and her husband knowing that they would not come again. Her chain of thoughts were broken by the goodbye’s of her colleagues who were now leaving for home as it was 6.

On her way back home Smriti picked up the cake from Wengers and drove straight to East of Kailash market where she picked all of Sameer’s favorite stuff including marshmallows, a Pinocchio hat ,chicken lasagna from Big Chill and a big bunch of carnations .She reached home by 7 PM . As the housekeeper Mira opened the door for her, “Mummaaaaaaa…..” yelled a little Samaira and jumped in her arms. Smriti kissed the forehead of her 5 year old daughter and asked her to quickly change and wear her pretty Cinderella frock. She then asked Mira to help her decorate the open terrace of her apartment with balloons and flowers. In another hours time a few close friends had gathered at her place in the terrace. After a round of conversations and usual chit chats Smriti called Samaira and asked her to cut the cake. Samaira took the knife in her little hands ,blew the candles and then looked hopefully at the large picture of Sameer and said “I love you Papa.. wish you were here”. As she cut the cake everyone started singing the birthday song for Sameer ..!! It started drizzling as Smriti kept looking at Sameer’s smiling face in the picture and whispered “Love u Forever Sameer “.

Sameer had been diagnosed of Huntington's Chorea , a rare brain disorder which had no cure and had no set timelines for its effects rendering it impossible to predict the patients life expectancy. Sameer passed away 4 years earlier, leaving Smriti and her one year old daughter alone. Smriti never stopped celebrating his birthdays just the way she used to earlier.

As Smriti was looking at Sameer’s picture she was startled by a gentle touch on her shoulders. She turned back and to her extreme surprise stood Rita with tears in her eyes. Smriti immediately bent down to take her blessings when Rita hugged her tightly and started crying. She kept saying “ I was wrong” as tears rolled down her cheeks. Rita had apparently just come to know that Sameer’s illness had been diagnosed 3 months before he got married –a secret that he shared only with Smriti.

Little Samaira Ran to Rita and gave her the Pinocchio hat as she looked at her Son’s Picture in utter despair.